Display device



June 2, 1925*.

A. E. DAVIS ET AL DISPLAY DEVQICE,

Filed- Dec. 26

ATTORNEY l mented June 2, 1925.

* UNITED STATES PATENT oF'Ficn ALBERT E. DAVIS AND snuon DAVIS, on KEW GARDENS, NEW YORK.

V DISPLAY DEVICE.

Applicatiomfiled December 213, 1924. Serial No. 758,013.

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT E. Davis and SIMON DAVIS, citizensof the United States, and residents of Kew Gardens, Queens County, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Devices, set forth in the following specification. I

This invention relates to display devices. The object of the invention is to make possible the easy transportation of renewal displays sent out from a central source of distribution and their Subsequent display in an advertising locality. To this end, there is contemplated the employment of a. flimsy sheet of material such as paper, cloth or the like, which has no inherent strength to maintain itself as a flat placardbut which has considerable strength intension and in edgewise shear. The means contemplated for cooperation with such a sheet is a knockdown frame of simple, cheap construction which may be quickly jointed together to display the advertising and which, when not in use, will occupy little space. It is contemplated that such a frame may be fabricated so cheaply as, for example, from bars or strips of wood, that one of the bars may be secured permanently to one edge of a display strip about which bar the display strip may be rolled, the bar to serve as a stiffening member to protect against injuries during transportation and to be thrown away when a new sheet is to be shown.

The above and further objects will be pointed out more in detail in thefollowing claims and will be understood by reference to the illustrative embodiment described in the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form apart hereof. I

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taking through the planeof line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View, with parts broken away, of the renewable display means; and

Fig. 4 is a fractional view corresponding to Fig, 1 showing a modification.

A reinforcing frame A is formed preferably of four wooden strips or bars, two extensors 1 and 2, adapted to lie when in use horizontallf, one above the other, and two tangular and of a size to accord with the frame A may be attached to one of the extensors, as for example, preferably to the top extensor. This may be accomplished by pasting the margin 8 I directly 7 to. the

outer surface of the bar or, if preferred, after the str1p is pasted, as indlcated in Fig. 2, the entire barniaybe rotated clockwise 180 so that this end of the sheet B; smooth ly folds over the bar, and extends downwardly. The opposite edge 9, of the sheet I3 is brought under the bar 2 and upon the other side thereof, forminga fold. Suit able means is provided for exerting tension upon thisedge 9. v

In Fig. 1 the pair of tension springs'll and 12, suitably secured as by screws 10 to the struts 3 and 41, may be provided with hooks 13 and 14 taking into eyelets 15 and 16 provided for that purpose in the edge 9. In this .nanner a spreading tension is provided for the edge 9 which is drawn to-.

wards'the opposite extensor bar 1 stretching the body of i the sheet across the surfaces 7.

lVhen large sheets are employed, it may be preferable to provide an additional member for the frame A in the form of an intermediate extensor a which has knock-clown connection with the struts 3 and 4: through the medium of tongue and slot joints 17 and 18. In this modification, hooks 19 may ."be provided intermediate the strutsB and 4:

to cooperate with additional eyelets 20 through the medium of a lacing'Ql of any suitable flexible material such as elastic or twine, it having been found that twine is sufficiently elastic for the purpose. In the modification of Fig. 1, spring tensors l1 and 12 are shown embodied, although for some purposes either the one or the other, the spring tensors 11 or the lacing 21 or both may be employed. i

The use and functioning of the device is to supply renewal sheets preferably in the form shown. in Fig. 3, already pasted along one edge to an extensor 1 and which may be rolled up about the extensor 1 for mailing to the customer. To put the sheet in use, all that is necessary is to assemble it as shown in Fig. 1. The tension means pulling the sheet causes the strength of the sheet against buckling shear to combine with the resistance against compression of the struts 3' and 4;, so that a stiff, fiat placard is produced. The'side edges 31"and 32 are free from the frame A. This freedom for the edges 31 and 32 is important together with the movability of the frame in its joints. As a. result the frame adapts itself to the sheet shifting slightly in its own plane to produce a flat tensed display almost automatically. As a matter of fact, the entire structure is not complete as a placard until the flimsy sheet is caused to combinewith the knock-down frame bythe application of I tension; In this respect, it is important to understand that all the expense usually entailed in the production of a stiff, rigid selfsustaining frame is done away with.

In addition to this advantageous saving inthe costof the frameitself, it should be borne in mind that thedifiicultyof transporting, as through the mail, a stiff placard is great, whereas the transportation of a sheet of paper rolled up on a wooden stiffener is the most feasible method for mailing.

The inventive thought may have a variety of expressions, as is contemplated in what we claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent:

1. In a display device in combination, a pair of extensor members adapted to be arranged in vertically spaced horizontal positions; a pair of struts; means for disconneetably framingsaid extensors and struts into substantially rectangular formation; a

sheet of flimsy display material permanently secured at one edgeto one of said extensor members and adapted to be rolled up there- .on fortransportation; and means for tensing a fold at the opposite ends of said sheet about the other of said extensor members.

. 2. In a dis la device in combination a flexible sheet of paper; aknock-down frame comprisingsa plurality of bars havingmating end connections adapted to be framed together to resist Warping movements but free for some movement in the plane of said bars; a sheet of paper secured along one paper display sheet attached to one of said bars and adapted to be drawn over an opposite bar in the form of a fold; and means for drawing the folded over edge of said fold towards the opposite bar so as to combine the cooperating tension, shear and compression qualities of said parts to produce a flat, strong display placard.

May lat, 1924.

ALBERT E. DAVIS.

SIMON DAVIS.

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